AB1730-PARE CAVIPA, THE SURVEY EXPLORING PATIENTS’ QUALITY OF LIFE WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS DESIGNED BY PATIENTS FOR PATIENTS
Authors: N. Martínez Fernández, J. Verges
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic joint disease and poses a growing public health problem. In Spain, 7 million people suffer from OA [1], and only hip and knee OA represent an average annual cost of 4,738 million euros for the Spanish Health System. In 2016, more than one hundred thousand hip and knee prostheses were placed in Spain [2]. In the Spanish population, errors in the quality of care and a deterioration in OA patient care have been described from the perspective of health professionals [3]. However, a comprehensive analysis of the OA patients' profile, experience, and needs is still missing. <h3>Objectives</h3> The objective is to determine the perception of the quality of life (QoL) of patients with knee and/or hip OA in Spain, focusing on critical factors associated, such as knowledge of the disease, satisfaction with their treatment plan, diagnosis, symptoms, functional disability, and limitations on daily activities. <h3>Methods</h3> Cross-sectional observational study including data collection through a telephone survey of 200 patients living through the Spanish territory. The survey was prepared by a group of patients, clinical experts, and methodologists and validated by a pilot with 10 patients. The final version, approved by the CEIC of the Hospital la Paz in Madrid, was divided into 8 parts that investigate socio-demographic, diagnostic, therapeutic, assistance, and joint functionality, focusing on patient satisfaction and perception of health and QoL. <h3>Results</h3> Patients reported that pain is the first word that comes into their minds when they think about OA. Although pain contributes to the loss of QoL and health, our results show that pain is a multidimensional affection since comorbidities such as depression and anxiety profoundly influence their QoL. Another factor that negatively affects the perception of QoL is the diagnostic delay, where the mean delay obtained in our results was 3.12 years. Regarding their pharmacological treatment, only half of the patients are satisfied, and only a fifth of the respondents believe it can alleviate their pain. Despite this lack of satisfaction, patients take a very long time to make it known to their doctors since they think their doctor will not listen to them or believe another therapeutic option does not exist. Moreover, only half of the patients received non-pharmacological recommendations from their doctors, of which only 20% received professional support for their implementation. Moreover, they reported the need for more treatments to improve their condition and advocated for more information, empathy, and comprehension since they feel their situation is poorly understood by their family, friends, and healthcare providers. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The Osteoarthritis Foundation International (OAFI) designed and conducted the first Spanish survey on QoL of OA patients: the CAVIPA study, to analyze the perception of QoL by patients. Our results show that OA severely impacts patients' QoL due to associated functional limitations, comorbidities, diagnostic delay, and treatment satisfaction. These results provide a portrait of patients' perceptions of OA to give a baseline to take better quality performance in the future. Also, it was a proof-of-concept study designed to prove the strength and capacity of patients and their organizations to contribute to the scientific community. Empowering patients to have a more active role in their health and engaging them in research are key aspects to ensure the effective implementation of interventions aimed at improving the QoL of patients and, consequentially, the current OA management strategies. <h3>References</h3> [3]Hunter DJ, March L, Chew M. Osteoarthritis in 2020 and beyond: a Lancet Commission. The Lancet. 2020. [4]Registro de Atención Especializada – RAE-CMBD. Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social. [5]Arriaza R, Sancho C, Fernandez-Gutierrez B. Osteoarthritis in Spain: A nationwide survey of medical specialists. Rheumatol Clin. 2019;15:e14– 7. <h3>Acknowledgements</h3> We want to acknowledge the volunteers from OAFI who conducted the telephone interviews and the data analysts from SERMES that helped us with the statistical analysis. Also, we want to thank M. Bernad, M. Santiñà, A. Sanchez, and M. Reyes, who supervised the development of the study. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.